The Australian Football League "announced a ban on injections for players unless they are required for a medical condition," according to the AAP. This measure "exceeds the requirements" of the World Anti-Doping Agency code. In a statement, the AFL said, "No substance is to be administered to any player by injection other than by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner and only to the extent it is necessary to treat a legitimate medical condition. No person may possess needles or injectables other than the club medical officer." Clubs "will be permitted to use controlled treatments but they must be approved by the club doctor and recorded in a register made available to the league" (AAP, 2/6). In Melbourne, Samantha Lane wrote AFL clubs will be limited to using just 10 mobile phones to communicate in designated risk zones on match day, and will also face sanctions under new guidelines for failing to inform the league -- by midday the day before every game -- "who they have invited to the dressing rooms." Under the proposed new integrity regulations, "it will be mandatory for clubs to submit a guest list of visitors to the change room" and any late additions could only be approved by a club president, CEO or football manager (THE AGE, 2/7).

The Austrian Bundesliga is "set to require a turf-heating system in its stadiums," according to Alexander Huber of KURIER. Bundesliga President Hans Rinner said, "Infrastructure is our leading topic. We will decide on it at our next meeting in June." He said, "If we have to, we will pass the requirement of a turf-heating system with the necessary two-thirds majority." The only hold up "is the system's costs." In addition, Rinner "called for a new national stadium." He said, "Austria needs in addition to a renovated Rapid stadium a new national stadium with up to 60,000 seats. Then, Vienna could again host a European cup final" (KURIER, 2/6).

Board of Control for Cricket in India President N. Srinivasan said that "a strong India would be good for world cricket" as he defended the proposed structural revamp of the Int'l Cricket Council under which the Indian Board would get a substantial control of the world body’s functioning, according to the PTI. Justifying the proposal, which is being opposed by a section of the ICC including South Africa, Srinivasan said that "the fears of India getting disproportionate control of the game are unfounded." Srinivasan: “The BCCI is quite happy to be involved with the leadership of cricket. We will embrace this ICC in the new structure, which will be good for cricket as a whole. A strong India with a vibrant commercial structure is good for world cricket." Srinivasan said that the previous Members Participation Agreement on revenue-sharing "was unfair to India but he did not specify how" (PTI, 2/5).

Bodyguards "will accompany players on nights out during next weekend's Auckland Nines." The National Rugby League has invested A$100,000 ($90,000) "to ensure there are no off-field dramas at the inaugural tournament." The NRL "has taken the proactive step of hiring up to 50 security guards after what has been a horror summer for the code." Several players were "charged over a range of offences during the off-season" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/7). ... The Int'l Rugby Board said that "the top four countries at the end of next season's rugby world sevens series will qualify" for the 2016 Rio Olympics. A further six of the 12 teams in each of the men's and women's events "will come from regional qualifiers, with one last place available at a final playoff tournament" (AAP, 2/6). ... Australia's national baseball teams "are looking for new nicknames and the public is being enlisted to assist in the search." Both the men's and women's sides "are currently known simply as Team Australia, but it hardly provides the identity and building the profile that some of the country's other sports are enjoying" (BRISBANE TIMES, 2/6). ... Men and women "will earn equal prize money" at next week's 2014 National Squash Championships in Manchester. The total prize money for the championships, which will be held from Monday until Feb. 16, is £22,800 ($37,200) (BBC, 2/6). ... F1 teams and the FIA "are to discuss plans for an immediate shake-up of qualifying rules to boost the spectacle." Motor racing's governing body "has convened a meeting with team managers" for Feb. 21, during the next F1 test in Bahrain, to "discuss changing the format of qualifying" for '14 (AUTOSPORT, 2/6).